PETER HICKMAN ON SUPERLIGHT !

Super team they've put together. I wonder if they'll bring the bikes to the NW200 for some pre TT racing?
 
Wow, that’s impressive.

But the big question is... where do I got one of those “Norton Superlight” tee shirts as modelled by Hickman (but perhaps in a slightly larger size) ??
 
My missus said “Superlight”?!

The she asked mildly scornfully...

“why”?...

“what about the rider”?...

“you’re always going on about lightweight this, that, or the other... what about YOU”!?!
 
Interesting, and somewhat relieving to read this from Hickman:

"I had a chance to get a close look at the Superlight over the weekend, and it felt really good. It actually fits me really well, it’s narrow – which is good – but I’m 6ft2in and I could tuck in really well”.

I’m 6’ and was starting to worry the bike might be too small. Panic over.
 
I’m 6’ and was starting to worry the bike might be too small. Panic over.

Looking at how compact it is there's no way a gent of your majestic stature could fit it. I think you need to cut your losses and offload it cheap to someone more diminutive, say, 5'8". I'm only concerned for your long term wellbeing and could arrange this for you......
 
Looking at how compact it is there's no way a gent of your majestic stature could fit it. I think you need to cut your losses and offload it cheap to someone more diminutive, say, 5'8". I'm only concerned for your long term wellbeing and could arrange this for you......

Very kind of you Clive, you’re a true gent.

But it just wouldn’t look right with a 4 ft length of drain pipe bolted to either side...as is the penchant of you long pipe types...
 
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My missus said “Superlight”?!

The she asked mildly scornfully...

“why”?...

“what about the rider”?...

“you’re always going on about lightweight this, that, or the other... what about YOU”!?!


OUCH !
 
The bike is super competitive on paper.

The riders are a dream team.

The biggest risk as I see it is the obvious fact that it is a totally brand new machine.

Unless Norton have secretly been testing the hell out of it to find all the bugs... the Island will find the bugs for them...
 
What a team on the Superlight, FE, you must be very excited thats yours hopefully will benefit from the thrashing that these guys will give it, maybe they could run yours in?

Can Norton really afford this racing though, will it cover costs with sponsorship. Maybe with the new volume expected with the scramblers and the license overseas with the engines, it will be less of an issue.
 
A win would certainly give credibility in the general market.
 
The bike is super competitive on paper.

The riders are a dream team.

The biggest risk as I see it is the obvious fact that it is a totally brand new machine.

Unless Norton have secretly been testing the hell out of it to find all the bugs... the Island will find the bugs for them...
In the early 60s Ford made a deal to buy Ferrari. Enzo backed out of the deal and pissed Henry Ford II off.
He hired Carroll Shelby and others to build a Le Mann’s Ferrari killer and said win.
He said not to spare any expenses and said all he wanted was to beat Ferrari.
He gave Carroll Shelby and the other 2 engineers each name tags that each said “ford wins le Mann’s”
Well ford won and took 1-2-3 place and to prove it again also won the following years.
All with a brand new, GT-40.

Flash forward to 2016 ford did the exact same again and took 1-2-3 in le Mann’s with a all brand new Ford GT.

POINT IS, Norton can do it!
 
What is wonderful about the Superlight in my view is that it is ALL Norton. Not Norton with Aprilia engine etc.. Also this class is perfect for them . The rules exclude , 4 cyl , above 650cc .
 
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What is wonderful about the Superlight in my view is that it is ALL Norton. Not Norton with Aprilia engine etc.. Also this class is perfect for them . The rules exclude , 4 cyl , above 650cc .

Agree with all that plus...

IMHO the Superlight genre with its light weight and over 110bhp (with race pipe) is a more realistic, more usable, and frankly more fun machine for the vast majority of us mere mortals than the 210bhp + ‘Star Ship Enterprises’ out there.

It appeals to me it’s a bike that I can RIDE... not just hang on to...

Like I said, only IMHO.
 
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Agree with all that plus...

IMHO the Superlight genre with its light weight and over 110bhp (with race pipe) is a more realistic, more usable, and frankly more fun machine for the vast majority of us mere mortals than the 210bhp + ‘Star Ship Enterprises’ out there.

It appeals to me it’s a bike that I can RIDE... not just hang on to...

Like I said, only IMHO.
Given the average age of motorcyclists is not exactly young i suspect the market will agree as well.
 
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